Caster bracket



5 L ROWNTREE CASTER BRACKET.

FILED NOV l0. |92l Jan. 16, 1923.

WWMHHH m v #0 m 9 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 16, 192 3.

UNITED STATES 1,442,097 PAT N osricE.

FRANK L. R WN REE, or MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO FOSTER, MERRIAMAND COMPANY, or MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, a. CORPORATION or CCNNECTIC T.

. GASTER BRACKET.

im utation filed Iiovember 10.1921. Serial No. 514,298.

To all whomit may concern Be it known that I, FRANK L. ROWNTREE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, county of New Haven,State .of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Caster Brackets,of whichth'e following is a specification.- p p This invention relatesto casters and particularly to a bracket including a socket adapted tobe secured to furniture to receive the pintle of a caster proper.

Itis an object of the invention to provide such a bracket of simpleconstruction so that it may be easily and cheaply manufactured.

It is also an object to provide a bracket of this type which may beformed of sheet metal. p

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved topbearing for a pintle in the socket.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a bracketstructure which may be secured to either a flat wall, the inside of anangle shaped le or the outside thereof.

D, with a very slight change.

With these and other objects in viewl have devised the improved bracketstructure illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which 1 Fig. 1 isa top plan view of what-1 call a straight bracket.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of what 1 term an inside bracket showing itsecured to the inside of an angle shaped leg of a piece of furniture.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the form shown in 3, a portion of thewall of the socket being broken away.

I Fig. 5 is a top plan view of what 1 term an outside bracket, and

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the form shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the bracket is shown as constructed of apieceof sheet metal with its midsection bent to form a tube 10, the endsof the piece of sheet metal being brought together or nearly so at theback of the tube at 11 and are then bent away from each other, and insubstantially the same plane to form wing portions 12 provided with anydesired number OfClIlllBCl holes 13 to receive bolts or rivets to securesame to a support, such as the leg of a piece of furniture. as thewingportions 12 are in the same plane, this bracket is adaptedito besecured to the flat side ofthe support and I call it a straight bracket.The top ofthe tube is closed by means of integral lugs 1d the end of thetube, as shown. lnthe top .6 substantially triangular in shape bent overi of the tube or socket. I'provid'e a top bearing disc 15 formed of anysuitable material,such as sheet metal Or fibre, and preferably provid'edwith a central raised portionlG 'forniing atopbearing for the end of-apintle 17 "fora caster proper, 18, as shown in Fig. 4:,

this raised portion providing a substantially -;s mall bearing surfaceand allowing frees turning of the pintle in the socket. I preferably101111 this disc separate from the ted and the end of the pintle curvedto provide the small bearing surface,'if desired.

Any suitable means may be provided for retaining the pintle in thesocket or tube bracket and insert it in the tube or socket .and retainit therein by the lugs 14: closing such as lugs 19 struck inwardly fromthe walls of the tube and adapted to coact with a groove 20 formed inthe pintle, as shown in Fig. 1. \Vhen the pintle is inserted in thesocket, as the walls of the tube are not connected at 11, the tubeyields suificiently toallow the'lugs 19 to pass over the end 21 of thepintle, and then springs in to cause these lugs to enter the groove 20.A reverse oper ation will allow removal the socket.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 the side portions or wings 12 are bentbackwardly to ward the opposite sides of the tube so as to allow thebracket to be secured on the inside of an angle shaped leg 22 of a pieceof furniture, the securing means being shown as rivets '23 althoughbolts or any other securing means may be employed. Otherwise, thestructure of this socket is the same as'that shown in Figures 1 and 2.This form. of bracket 1 call an inside bracket.

In the bracket shown in Figures 5, and 6, the structure is also the sameas thatfshown in Figures 1 and 2,.but the, side or wing portions 12instead of being bent toward the tube, as in the form shown in Fig. 3,are bent to the rear so that the bracket may be of the pintle fromsecured to the outside of an angle shaped leg of a piece of furniture. 1term this an outside bracket.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the bracket,including the socket, is very simple in construction and may be formedfrom a single piece of sheet metal. Also that it provides a very rigidstructure which will effectively hold the caster in place, and at thesame time will allow free swinging movement thereof.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. A caster bracket comprising a substantially tubular socket, and a topbearing disc in the socket having a downwardly extending projectionproviding a thrust bearing for the end of a caster pintle.

Q. A caster bracket comprising a substantially tubular socket adapted toreceive a caster pintle, and a separate'top bearing element for thepintle in the socket comprising a disc having a projection presseddownwardly from the body thereof.

3. A caster bracket comprising a piece of sheet metal with itsmidse'ction curved to form a tube and the end portions adapted to besecured to a support, and a top bearing for a pint-1e in said tubecomprising a disc having a downwardly extending projection to abut theend of the pintle.

4. A caster bracket comprising a piece of sheet metal with itsmidsec-tion curved to form a tube and the end portions adapted to besecured to a support, a top bearing disc in the'tube, and lugs bent overthe top of the tube to retain the disc therein, said disc being formedwith a downwardly extending projection to abut the end of the pintle.

5. A caster bracket comprising a piece of sheet metal having itsmidsection' formed into a tube adapted to receive a pintle and theopposite ends extending away from each a other on one side of the tube,a topbearingidisc in the tube provided with 'a downwardly extendingprojection abutting the end of the pintle, and means for retaining apintle. in

the tube. i

In testimony whereof I aflix my si nature.

FRANK L. RowNriiEE.

